Five and a half years after the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking was introduced, the experience gained in this time and the in-depth study of the issue have prompted FIFA to slightly modify and more finely tune the tried and tested method of calculation. The seven best matches of the last eight years are now taken into account annually and there are new evaluation factors for confederations and competitions.

This change has caused teams which climbed onto the upper rungs of the Ranking ladder only in recent years (e.g. Yugoslavia and Iran) to lose considerable ground against teams which have had a more consistent
performance over a longer period or have suffered serious set-backs only recently (e.g. Portugal, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland). Furthermore, the new method of evaluating the confederations is reflected in the fact
that many teams from AFC and CONCACAF have taken a tumble, although CAF has been less affected, with the amount of shifts up and down staying more or less constant.